The L.A. Times music blog

Grimes, Cults, Grouplove to headline free Make Music Pasadena

April 25, 2012 | 12:22
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When Grimes last played Los Angeles, the indie electro-pop artist sold out the Echo and tickets on the secondary market were fetching close to $70. Fans won't have to shell out a dime for her next gig in the area, as the Canadian artist will bring her moody, shadow-illuminating synth textures to the free daylong Make Music Pasadena festival on June 16, organizers announced today.

The festival is set to host a mix of local and nationally known indie acts, and promises a final lineup of more than 100 bands performing about 150 concerts throughout the day. Others confirmed for the downtown Pasadena event include the wispy, soulful pop of boy/girl duo Cults, high-energy locals Grouplove and hotly tipped up-and-comers Electric Guest, whose Dangermouse-produced debut, "Mondo," was released this week.

Now in its fifth year, Make Music Pasadena is presented in conjunction with Santa Monica public radio station KCRW-FM (89.9). Running from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Make Music Pasadena boasts more than a dozen pop-up stages in unique locales, including outdoor courtyards, parks and neighborhood churches. Pasadena's ARTS buses will also host live music onboard, and carry riders to Make Music Pasadena's multiple main stages.

Others near the top of the bill for the fest include boogie ace Dam Funk, worldly psychedelic act Dengue Fever, French singer/songwriter Soko and soft pop harmonizers Milo Greene. Rounding out the list of confirmed acts thus far are Happy Hollows, So Many Wizards, Torches, Shadow Shadow Shade, Correatown, the Peach Kings, Ozma, Gustavo Galindo and KCRW DJ Jason Bentley.

Make Music Pasadena is produced by the Old Pasadena Management District, the Playhouse District Assn., and South Lake. More acts are to be announced in the coming weeks, and maps and further information will be available on the fest's site.

Although the Sunset Junction has gone south, there will be no shortage of outdoor music happenings in the L.A. area in the coming weeks. The Silver Lake Jubilee, which runs two days over Memorial Day weekend and comes with a $20 fee, has already unveiled a lineup that includes punk band FIDLAR and soul artist Aloe Blacc.